'Dark Knight Rises' featurette offers background, but few clues on the film

If you haven't realized yet that "The Dark Knight Rises" releases in nine days, you've been in a cocoon. Warner Bros. has been out-promoting itself over the movie, the final film in the Christopher Nolan-helmed Batman trilogy.

The studio, which also owns DC Comics which, of course, publishes Batman, has released a 13-minute featurette (embedded below) on "The Dark Knight Rises." The video, more than a trailer or a set of spoilers, instead mixes TV spots and trailers, along with screenshots, and soundtrack clips (and the full soundtrack has already been released online, anyway).

Take a blender and add in some previously-unseen behind-the-scenes video, along with cast and crew interviews, and you've got the featurette. To be clear, however, don't expect major spoilers to be revealed in the 13-minute video.

The fate of "The Bat" remains unknown. In the comics, Bane, the villain of this movie, fueled by a synthetic drug, Venom, broke Batman's back, in the "Knightfall" storyline. There, he was "restored" by Shondra Kinsolving, whose special powers repaired his spine.

Video: 'Dark Knight Rises' featurette

This, of course, would go against the relative "realism" of Nolan's Batman, as would an additional theory that the Lazarus Pits that are used by Ra's al Ghul in the comics would be used to heal Bruce Wayne.

There has been some speculation that Nolan's Batman will end up broken and unhealed.

Speaking to Nightline on Monday and in a clip available online, Nolan said, "We wanted an antagonist who could stand toe to toe with Batman and trade blows with him in a way that would be threatening and you would actually genuinely have fear for Batman's physical safety."

With his Venom-enhanced super-strength, Bane certainly is that. Tom Hardy, who plays Bane in the movie, says the following in the featurette: "Some people want to watch the world burn. Bane wants to pull the pin on the grenade."